This is ridiculous. Those signings would've cost well over £200m. If that was really Ole's transfer plan then he was being daft. A good manager should know the financial limitations of the club and work within that. Why didn't he have other options too?
You think he'd have learnt from just going for the two most obvious, expensive targets in AWB and 'Arry last summer that it's not always the best approach. I can't understand how our manager and his staff can only come up with 2 fecking options; Graelish and Sancho i.e. the two most obvious ones that would cost an absolute bomb.
I also like how people blame the board for not having a backup to Sancho when Dortmund said mid August was the deadline, as if it's the board, not the manager and staff, are the ones who should have alternatives set in stone when unsurprisingly you can't just go and poach the best teenager in the world for less than €120m. Shock, horror.
Few points to consider:
1. Grealish/Sancho/Upamecano would have cost 200M plus. True, so at least get him one?
2. Make it clear earlier than last day of transfers that he can't get one for the position he needs so that the club can move to next option.
Case in point Grealish. Thankfully, Villa stayed up and Grealish quickly signed a contract. And so we could move on to VdB. I really am thankful that Villa forced us, literally, to move on. Else we would have again be stuck with a long drawn out saga and missing out on even VdB.
3. 'Manager and his staff' making shortlist! I know this is Ole bashing season, but let's not misrepresent facts. There is a well defined scouting network and then a transfer committee - of which Ole is a part of. That's what we have been told umpteen times.
And of the names given for the position, of course any manager would suggest the best one for the team.
4. Blame manager and staff not the board!! For not having alternatives. Really?
Our issue this transfer season, was clearly that we didn't move to our alternatives sooner. And hoping it will work out. Especially in the RW position, where we clearly needed, and still need, a first teamer.
And this is on the negotiating / cheque signing lot.
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Criticize Ole for what it's worth, especially how we have started this condensed - grueling season.
But this blooper real of a tranfer season, is a result of efficiencies of the senior management at the club. The business and negotiating side of the club.